Candle-holder for christmas trees.



No. 737,157. PATENTED. AUG. 25, 1 903.

G. SGHROE DER. CANDLE HOLDER FOR CHRISTMAS TREES.

APPLICATION FILEDAPB. 15, 1903.

NO MODEL.

THE NORRIS PETERS co. wow-H1110vv WASHINGTON, n. r:v

UNITED STATES Patented August 25,

PATENT OFFICE.

CONRAD SGHR OEDEILOF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CANDLEHOLDER F OR vQHRISTMAS TREES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pate t No. 737,157, dated August25, 1903.

Application filed April 15. 1903; Serial No. 152,710; (No model.) I

residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Mil-' Waukee and State ofWisconsimhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Candle- Holdersfor Christmas Trees, of which the following is a description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which area part of thisspecification.

My invention has relation to improvements in candle-holders forOhristmasjtrees.

mas trees the holders are provided'with a pin or other device forsecuring them to the limb of thetree. These holders presentmanydisadvantages, among which being the difliculty of securing them inplace and in retaining them' in fixed positions after being secured, thedanger of fire, and the inability to arrange them at the outer or thinends of the limbs.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide an improvedconstruction which shall overcome the above-pointed-out disadvantages ina simple and inexpensive construction.

With the above and other incidental objects in view theinventionconsists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafterset forth. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation in dotted linesof" a Christmas tree to which a plurality of variable sizes of myimproved devices are connected. Figs.

2, 8, .an'd are detail views of candle-holders. of my improvedconstruction and of varying ating arms carrying at'their outer ends thesockets or holders for the candles. The central clamping deviceconsists, preferably, of two sections 9 9, each advisably ofhalf-circular form. At their ends each half-section is provided withoutwardly-extendingears Fig. 7 is 10 10, which when the twohalf-sections are adjusted together register. Screw-bolts 11 11 arepassedthrough registering openings in these ears to thereby hold thesections of the clamp together. Each half section of the clamp isprovided at its top and bottom edges with inwardly-extending flanges 1212, and

the top flange is provided with a series of apertures 13, spaced asuitable distance apart.

The curved side of each half-section is provided with a series ofelongated slots 14. In many forms of candle-holders for Christ- Theradiating arms are preferably adjustable','andthe inner section of eacharm is indicated by the numeral 15 and the outer section bythe numeral16. The inner end' of each inner section of arm is formed with aflathorizontal extremity 17, which is provided with an upturned lip 18 atits end. The inner section of each arm is removably secured to thecentral clamp by passing the flat extremity 17 through one of the slots14, and the lip 18 at the end thereof will bear against the under sideof the upper flange 12 of the clamp to thereby maintain the arm in'ahorizontal plane or prevent it from tilt-ing. A pin 19 is passed throughoneof the apertures 13 of the top flange and through a register-' ingaperture in the flat extremity in order to removably secure the arm tothe clamp. The two sections of each arm, as stated, arepreferablyadjustably secured together, so as to regulate the lengththereof. This may be accomplished in a variety of difier'ent ways. Iprovide, however, each inner section of arm with an elongated slot 20,through which a screw 21 passes and enters the outer sec tion. each armis preferably provided with a guide 22 for guiding the outer section inits movement. section of arm is formed a socket 23 for receiving andretaining the candle, This socket is advisably formed by bendingthemetal of the section around and leaving the end edge of said bentportion free, so that the socket may be readily enlarged or contractedto accommodate different sizes of candles. I also prefer to provide aprojecting tongue 24 from the under edge of the bent-around metal forming the socket, said tongue serving as a support for the lower end ofthe candle 25 and also serving, particularly when bent down- The outerend of each inner section-of At the outer extremity of each outer Awardly slightly, as shown in Fig. 6, as a means for suspending a. cup26, adapted to catch the drippings of candle-grease. The cup is providedwith a bail or handle 27,which engages over the tongue 24, andconsequently removably suspends the cup therefrom.

The stem of a tree, as is well known, is larger at its lower end andgradually tapers upwardly to its upper end. The branches of a tree arealso longer and extend outwardly farther at the lower portion or base ofthe tree and gradually become smaller toward and to the upper end of thetree. It is for this reason that I provide variable sizes of thedevices. The device nearest the lower end or base of the tree will be ofthe larger size-that is to say, the circumference of the central clampwill be large enough to embrace and clamp the enlarged stem portion ofthe tree and the radiating arms will be long enough to extend out towardthe outer ends of the branches of the tree. The devices arranged abovethe lower holder will be successively smaller in size, both as regardsthe circumference of the clamps and the length of the radiating arms. Inadjusting one of the devices the two sections of the clamp are placedaround the stem of the tree and clamped thereto by means of the screws11. The radiating arms are then adjusted to place in the mannerhereinbefore pointed out and the pins 19 then inserted in order toprevent the arms from being disengaged by an outward pull thereon. Byloosening the setscrews 21 the length of the arms can then be regulatedin accordance with the position it is desired the candles at the outerends thereof should occupy.

While I have herein shown and described a candle-holder in which thecentral clamp is composed of two separate sections and the radiatingarms adjustable longitudinally, yet I do not wish to he understood aslimiting myself specifically thereto, inasmuch as the central clamp neednot necessarily be of two separate sections, nor need it be necessarilyof circular form, nor need the radiating arms be necessarilyadjustablelongitudinally,inasmuch as I would deem any other form ofclamp and any desired form of arms, whether of a fixed length oradjustable in length, to be within the spirit and scope of my invention.

From the above description of myimproved devices it will be seen thatthey can be readily adjusted to a tree and the position of the candlesreadily adjusted, so that there is no danger of the flame from thecandle igniting the branches of the tree.

Another important feature of my invention resides in the fact that bythe arrangement of the apertures 13 and the elongated slots 14 theposition of the candle-holding arms may be changed in a simple andconvenient manner, so as to extend out from the clamp at diiferentangles.

That I claim as my invention is-- 1. In a candle-holder for Christmastrees, the combination of a member adapted to surround the stem of atree, and said member provided with an upright portion having a seriesof openings therethrough, and said member further provided with aninwardlyextending flange, the edge of the flange adapted to bear againstthe stem of the tree to hold the member to said stem, and to also spacethe upright portion of the member a short distance from the stem of thetree, an arm provided with candle -holding means, and having its innerend extending through one of the openings into the space between theupright portion of the member and the stem of the tree and bearingupwardly on the flange, and means engaging the inner end of the arm toprevent the withdrawal of said arm outwardly from engagement with theopening.

2. In a candle-holder for Christmas trees, the combination of a memberadapted to surround the stem of a tree, and said member provided with anupright portion having a series of openings therethrough, and saidmember further provided at the top and bottom edges of its uprightportion with inwardlyextending flanges, the edges of said flangesengaging the stem of the tree, and thereby holding the member inengagement with said stem, and also spacing the upright portion of themember a short distance from said stem, an arm provided withcandle-holding means, and having its inner end extending through one ofthe openings and into the space between the upright portion of themember and the stem of the tree and bearing upwardly on the top flange,and means engaging the inner end of the arm to prevent the withdrawal ofsaid arm outwardly from engagement with the opening.

3. In a candle-holder for Christmas trees, the combination with a memberadapted to be secured to a tree, and said member having its outer endprovided with a socket for a candle, the lower edge of said socket atone point provided with a projecting tongue which is bent beneath andacross the lower open end of the socket to form a seat for the lower endof the candle, the extremity of said tongue being free of agrease-receptacle provided with ahandle engaging over the tongue.

4:. In a candle-holder for Christmas trees, the combination of a memberadapted to surround the stem of a tree, and said member provided with anupright portion having a series of openings therethrough, and saidmember further provided with an inwardlyextending flange having a seriesof perforations therethrough, the edge of said flange engaging the stemof the tree and thereby holding the member in engagement with said stem;an arm provided with candle-holding means, and having its inner endextending through one of the openings and a pin extending through any ofthe perforations of the flange and through a registering perforation inthe inner end of the arm.

5. In a candle-holder for Christmas trees, the combination of a memberadapted to surround the stem of a tree, and said member provided with anupright portion having a series of openings therethrough, and saidmember further provided with an inwardlyextending flange having a seriesof perforations therethrough, the edge of said flange engaging the stemof the tree and thereby holding the member in engagement with said stem,an arm provided with candle-holding

